science

National Institute for Discovery Science

National Institute for Discovery Science is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand National Institute for Discovery Science rather than just read about it. In short: The National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDSci) was a privately financed research organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., and operated from 1995 to 2004. It was founded in 1995 by real-estate developer Robert Bigelow, who set it up to research and advance serious study of various fringe science and paranormal topics, most notably ufology.

Key takeaways

National Institute for Discovery Science belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect National Institute for Discovery Science to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of National Institute for Discovery Science from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDSci) was a privately financed research organization based in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., and operated from 1995 to 2004. It was founded in 1995 by real-estate developer Robert Bigelow, who set it up to research and advance serious study of various fringe science and paranormal topics, most notably ufology. Deputy Administrator Colm Kelleher was quoted as saying the organization was not designed to study UFOs only. "We don't study aliens, we study anomalies. They're the same thing in a lot of people's minds, but not in our minds." NIDSci was disbanded in October 2004.

History The National Institute for Discovery Science, known also as NIDS, was founded by Robert Bigelow to support the scientific study of paranormal phenomena. The NIDS performed research in the areas of cattle mutilation and black triangle reports. The NIDSci bought Skinwalker Ranch after journalist George Knapp first wrote about it in 1996, and Deputy Administrator Colm Kelleher led the investigation for a number of years. A hotline was established in 1999 to receive reports of odd occurrences. Over 5,000 reports were submitted via phone and email to the organization. Officials say many were explained as missile test launches and meteors.

See also Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force

References

External links Snapshot of NIDSci site at the Internet Archive (archived October 7, 2007) NIDS - Robert Bigelow — a collection of news articles about the NIDS' early days The UFO Hunters - Scientists at National Institute for Discovery Science study anomalous phenomena Where the Steers and the Aliens Play an article by Sean Castel in Fate, August, 1998 The End of the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) Bigelow’s Aerospace and Saucer Emporium, Skeptical Inquirer 33.4, July/August 2009

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with National Institute for Discovery Science

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what National Institute for Discovery Science claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to National Institute for Discovery Science before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about National Institute for Discovery Science ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of National Institute for Discovery Science

In research: National Institute for Discovery Science appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses National Institute for Discovery Science in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: National Institute for Discovery Science is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Organizations based in Nevada, Pseudoscience, Scientific organizations based in the United States, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for National Institute for Discovery Science outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “National Institute for Discovery Science” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study National Institute for Discovery Science in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what National Institute for Discovery Science means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain National Institute for Discovery Science out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is National Institute for Discovery Science in simple terms?

Why does National Institute for Discovery Science matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study National Institute for Discovery Science?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on National Institute for Discovery Science.